And I'm deeply offended by Obama's selection of Warren as not just a prominent invitee at the inauguration ceremonies but as an integral participant. Obama's bent for casting a "Big Tent" for dialogue goes way beyond the pale in this instance.

Where/at what does Obama draw the line on those with whom he will "dialogue"? Who/what's excluded?

Obama definitely owes his supporters, and the nation as a whole, more specific clarification on this subject. Otherwise surprises such as this, with no advance warning to his supporters, will be cause for more divisiveness, not agreement, and will not deliver "Change We can Believe In".

Append my subject as the next sentence to your subtitle. I know what you're thinkin', but...c'mon people, we're all just people, right? 'nuff said.

The prospect of a systemic collapse that will annihilate the global economy in short order has been forestalled, temporarily. The $750 BILLION TARP will have been a major contributor to the US NOT having the capability to recover from a total wipe out of the Global Financial System. Welcome, in advance, to the YEAR ZERO.

Outcry and pressure hasn't worked on the Obama abomination of selecting right wing extremist evangelical preacher Rick Warren to be the principal religious leader at the inauguration. That tactic doesn't work much, especially when it comes from Obama's most ardent and loyal supporters. He figures they are expendable, where else can they go? Well, this liberal can and will go elsewhere; Obama will never get my vote again. Obama, a one term President, I hope.

Super because Pakistan is a nuclear-armed state. It is also on the path to failed state status. The territory that will be known as the 'former country of Pakistan' will revert to the traditional mode of existence for the Central Asian region: tribal/clan organization with constantly shifting alliances/confederations.

In the case of Vietnam, there was a repeated lament that nobody studied the history of the Vietnamese and the wider region. It is obvious that the very same mistake is being repeated in the Afghanistan-Pakistan area. However, the implications for the future are far greater due to the inclusion of militant Islam and nuclear weapons in this mix.

Even the Russians, who should have known better because of their geographic proximity, made the mistake and lost miserably with considerably more military forces: about 125,000 at the peak. It was one of the salient events that precipitated the destruction of the Soviet Union because it showed systemic weakness. What are the implications for the US?

Their problem is the embedded antisemitism within the Vatican and the "Holy See". That has been inextricably woven into the Catholic religion since the thug Paul initiated it along with his persecution of James, brother of Jesus and first Bishop of Jerusalem, who was completely read out of Christianity by the Catholic Bishops. Read the history.

A "comeback" to the (White) backlash maybe. Their "Southern Strategy", begun under Nixon, has finally ate them. They are now primarily a Southern regional party, on track to become more so in the future. They are constitutionally, socially, and organizationally incapable of appealing to the broader ethnic base that is developing in the US. Despite desperate attempts, like naming Steele as the party chairman, at creating an illusion of ethnic inclusion, an increasing majority of the American people just won't buy it.

President Obama should concentrate on accomplishing exactly what the article's headline states. He and his team in charge of organizing this "summit" must guide the conference away from ranting about Social Security's fictitious "burdens" and toward solutions to the real elephant in the room: the real burden of the cost of health care in the US.

It's been noted that the US spends vastly more overall on health care than any of the most economically advanced nations in the world, who all have had a form of national health care in place for many years. The tied-in-knots condition of the Congress, based on complex inter-group conflict-to-the-death realities, must all be broken up somehow.

It's Mr. Obama and his team's job to guide the conference into productive recommendations on how to solve entitlements in health care, pension guarantees, and myriad other guarantee obligations of the Federal government that need solution/resolution paths, not Social Security.

If the conference gets off track by concentrating on cutbacks in Social Security, President Obama will lose ground and diminish his political capital to no avail. Social Security, given its present and future growth due to the baby boomers, will more than ever be the "third rail" of American politics.

Washington's deficit has been stated by news stories here as now projected at $8 billion and climbing, depending on the rate of decline in the state's economy. I don't understand the figures posted for WA.

It's part of the Dims being afraid of their own shadows for the past 45 years. Since Nixon squeaked out a victory, the Dims have acted like a bunch of timid pols trying to hang onto their jobs. Lust for "Campaign Contributions" (aka bribery) has become their primary focus. They are terrified of Rush & the right wingnut extremists, just like the regular Republicans have shown themselves to be in apologizing and kissing up to Rush lately.

Terminal corruption disease has infected the political system and its like terminal cancer. It has to be rooted out.

She's pretty dark skinned, looks much more like an African-American than a Filipino-American; she doesn't look Asian at all to me. So all that white racist rant by her readers seems really strange and way out of place. I'm surprised she tolerates it to the extent shown.